Soda drink alternatives?

[namitsu]

Hi everyone.
I really love soda drinks like coke and 7up , but as part of my new healthier habits I want to kick those (mostly done so already). Ofcourse one could just drink a glass of water, but water is just water. I mean, there are many tasty foods as replacement for bad foods, but finding healthy drinks I find more difficult. Fruity juices might sound like a good idea, but they overload you with sugars which impair energy levels . The only thing I could think off was some home made iced-tea. Maybe I'll try mixing that with sparkly water next time.
Any other ideas?

[Doku]

Water with lemon.
Iced green tea with honey and lemon.
Iced tea with honey.

[Holistic Star]

Sorry - all I can recommend is water. You do get used to it - promise.

You could add a squirt of lemon for vitamin C, and if you are in the US you can add a few drops of stevia to make it sweet. I think it tastes nicer like this hot.

I haven't been able to drink coke since I was 12 and I watched my friends dad de-grease a gunged up car engine with it, so can't recommend a subsitute.

Don't substitute for full sugar versions for diet drinks though thinking they are healthy. Aspartame is a nasty, nasty substance. IMO you are better off with sugar than aspartame.

[MGJ]

I like water with lemon and crystal lite... I cheat every now and again and put in some sweet and lo with the lemon and water to make a poor mans lemonade.

[Michelle]

Try switching to carbonated water first. You can add a lot to it. Try spritzing lemon and lime, or adding a drop of syrup. Syrup is great because you have control over the dosage, it comes in many flavors and you can ween yourself off the sugar slowly. Or common in Germany is to mix half carbonated water and half pure apple juice - this is very refreshing. You can also try making your own ice tea - herbal teas work great, too and again you can dose the sugar. If you use sugar - really use sugar, not that chemical crap. And once in a while drink a coke!

It was very easy for me to give up soda after my move from the states to europe since they have so many better choices.

[namitsu]

Ok. Lemon and carbonated water seems good. I'll also try dosing syrups. I'm in Europe, but heard of stevia sweet herbs. Just wondering how thats mixable with water? Sweet and not sugar sounds great to me.

[mkidd]

Ooh, ooh my forst post! I too am trying to give up coke. I don't drink a ton of it, but if it's around I'll have 1 can or 1 glass per day. I even like it better than a good beer.

I don't drink the diet. I think the artifical sweetener is worse than the sugar, myself. So of course, I don't care for the crystal lite diet drink substitutes either.

I do drink water and find the more you drink it, the more you crave it.

Also, I like mixing 7/8 plain seltzer with 1/8 100% cranberry juice. It makes for a nice "natural" soda, especially good if you like those fruity health-food store natural sodas like the knudsons, etc.

[WanderingOak]

Originally Posted by namitsu

Ok. Lemon and carbonated water seems good. I'll also try dosing syrups. I'm in Europe, but heard of stevia sweet herbs. Just wondering how thats mixable with water? Sweet and not sugar sounds great to me.

I've had stevia in coffee and tea, and enjoy the taste. However, as with most non-caloric sweeteners, I find that it tends to stimulate the appetite when taken without some calories, just because you subconsciously expect nourishment with the sweet taste. This thread has some good alternatives as well, which can be taken either with sugar, stevia, or honey (my personal favorite).

[rossio]

Definitely give water and fresh lemon (or lime) a try. It really is a nice and refreshing beverage!

I also like having chilled green tea too.

As a note too - I don't think stevia is allowed in Europe. We certainly had to stop selling a couple of products because they contained stevia. That is not to say stevia is bad at all - because it is great! The only reason that it is not allowed in Europe is simply because it has never been tested over here by European food standards.

Ross

[WanderingOak]

Originally Posted by rossio

Definitely give water and fresh lemon (or lime) a try. It really is a nice and refreshing beverage!

I also like having chilled green tea too.

As a note too - I don't think stevia is allowed in Europe. We certainly had to stop selling a couple of products because they contained stevia. That is not to say stevia is bad at all - because it is great! The only reason that it is not allowed in Europe is simply because it has never been tested over here by European food standards.

Ross

Stevia hasn't been tested as a sweetener in the US either. That is why you won't find any commercial 'diet' drinks with it. However, it is avaialble in the US as a 'dietary supliment', so you can get it in either powdered or liquid form and add it yourself. You can also grow the plant yourself (indoors, if you have freezing temperatures), and dry the leaf to add to your own infusions. I'm not sure about 'dietary supliment' laws in the EU, although many paranoics are convinced that the UN is trying to foist them on the rest of the world . Anyhow, I seriously doubt if stevia plants are treated as contraband such as other 'herbal' products are, so if you can't buy it prepared, 'roll your own'.

[namitsu]

I've searched around about stevia in the EU. It turns out that stevia cannot be sold as sweetener or dietry supplement, but it is legal to sell it as a product for external use (ie for your skin). So I've found an online shop where they're selling it at a price of € 14.15 90ml stevia extract.

[Matthew Shea]

Originally Posted by Michelle

Or common in Germany is to mix half carbonated water and half pure apple juice - this is very refreshing.

I've also heard they'll drink half pop/half beer over there.

OK, so maybe that's not a good substitute.

On a serious note, I've found that coffee and tea can be a good substitute, especially if you're used to the caffeine in things like Coke or Pepsi (you won't get withdrawal symptoms). Regular coffee and tea have a number of health benefits when taken in moderation, have almost no calories and the caffeine actually boosts your metabolism to boot. I know there's an overall anti-caffeine sentiment here, but there are benefits to it. Personally, I avoid drinking any caffeinated beverages after lunch to avoid any effect on my sleep patterns. That effectively limits me to two cups a day, which I think is a perfectly reasonable amount by most standards.

[Dating Specialist]

Originally Posted by namitsu

Hi everyone.
I really love soda drinks like coke and 7up , but as part of my new healthier habits I want to kick those (mostly done so already). Ofcourse one could just drink a glass of water, but water is just water. I mean, there are many tasty foods as replacement for bad foods, but finding healthy drinks I find more difficult. Fruity juices might sound like a good idea, but they overload you with sugars which impair energy levels . The only thing I could think off was some home made iced-tea. Maybe I'll try mixing that with sparkly water next time.
Any other ideas?

Erh, Erm, actually namitsu, can I ask what is it about those soda drinks that make you so addicted to it? Do you feel as if it gives you energy cos of those bubbles?

[sourceofmiracles]

Pomegranate Tea Stuff is pretty good and healthy.
Pomegranate products: Pomegranate Juice, POM Tea, and fresh pomegranates

[maverickstruth]

If you're not wanting to go the full nine-yards and start on "plain ole water" right away, another suggestion for a happy medium would be to see if you can track down some San Pellegrino (now manufactured by Nestle, I believe, but not sure). The most common flavors are Aranciata (orange) and Limonata (lemon), and from what I recall, it's got real fruit juice (and possibly also some pulp? haven't had any in a long time) for its flavoring. I'm not sure about the sugar content, but I can guarantee you it's less than you average can of Coke. I also second the recommendation for mixing up apple juice and soda water. For a non-carbonated drink, mix some OJ with some milk (if you drink milk) for a creamy flavor.

[sourceofmiracles]

Originally Posted by Matthew Shea

I've also heard they'll drink half pop/half beer over there.

Sounds like my kind O' beverage!

[ReallyGoodIdeas]

There are lots of herbal teas around that taste great hot or cold. My favourite is peppermint, I don't add sugar, but friends do. But even Twinings do about 10 different combinations of fruit and herb teas. You're sure to like one of them at least. And most of them are good with a slice of lemon or lime etc. You can jazz them up a bit.

Joy to you
Hazel

[Michelle]

I've also heard they'll drink half pop/half beer over there.

Very true! Common in summertime is to mix half 7-up or Sprite with Beer. It is called a Panache, and supposedly very refreshing. Not really my forte though.

[Matthew Shea]

Originally Posted by Michelle

Very true! Common in summertime is to mix half 7-up or Sprite with Beer. It is called a Panache, and supposedly very refreshing. Not really my forte though.

My in-laws were talking about that this past weekend when they came down for my son's first birthday. My father-in-law was born in Germany and all of them have traveled there recently. My wife's grandmother actually has some pretty harrowing East Germany escape stories, but that's another thread.

Anyway, back on topic, pop isn't the only thing mixed with the beer. Lemonade apparently works too, as do Coke and several other beverages that us Americans would never consider. Certain beers (like Blue Moon) work very well with orange juice or a cut piece of orange added.

Of course that all runs quite contrary to the spirit of this thread.

[LillyoftheValley]

Healthbolt » What Happens To Your Body If You Drink A Coke Right Now?

I'm also kinda sorta coke-fan.
Now I'll think twice before sipping it into my system.

[Andrew Brunelle]

I have not drank a can of soda, nor any other carbonated beverage since February 2006. Not one. How did I do it? Water, herbal tea, water, water, and water. Sometimes some fresh squeezed vegetable juice, but not very often. Water is the only thing I drink besides the occasional herbal tea. Chamomile's my favorite.

[moltar]

Loblaws chain in Canada sells some sort of carbonated drinks that are organic (USDA approved) and are ok. My sister bought a few the other time and I tried one and it was nice. It wasn't sugary at all, but it had that cool feeling of the carbonated drink. I forget the name though :S, but next time I got to Loblaws I will look it up.

[Conan Stevens]

You need to take control of your sweet tooth and your impulses.

Just drink water, get used to it, after a couple of months water (bottled) tastes good, often tap water is bad tasting.

I drink 6 litres of water a day and have no problems

[escapee]

What about substituting the soda drinks with Evian mineral water (Cost alert : it's more expensive than oil ) . IMHO that's the second best liquid that you could put in your body. ( the 1st being the Alkaline water )

[Akashic_Librarian]

6 Litres!!!

My God, I go through about one and I am going to the toilet every hour lol.

[Akashic_Librarian]

6 Litres!!!

My God, I go through about one and I am going to the toilet every hour lol.